Am I the only one who thinks this is a cheap tactic from automakers including BMW!?

[lorinzo]

Originally Posted by Legion5

People need to stop these sorts of criticisms because they are ridiculous. Especially when it comes to BMW's.

The engine sound on the M5 is not in any way fake. It is the actual real sound of the actual real engine played through the speakers. Do you consider hearing someone's voice through a phone or a video fake? If it's the original person's undubbed real voice? Most reasonable people do not.

In fact the truth is that BMW's system to pump engine noise into the cabin is MORE REAL and more FAITHFUL than the system it replaces. The very nature of sound means that it undergoes changes when it passes through a tube, a wall or through glass, it changes the pitch frequency and tone when interacting with any surface or medium. The fact that BMW actually achieves a cleaner more faithful engine noise inside the cabin by using a digital intermediary from the engine to the occupant's ears instead of an analog set of tubes through the firewall actually is more real not less.

This sort of reaction is what you get from people who are afraid of technology and would rather use a string and a tin can for a phone instead of a high quality stennheiser microphone and speaker system with a digital link. The digital system is better in every measurable and conceivable way, both in phones and in the case of the M5, it's not evil just because it's digital.

By switching to pumping the actual engine noise into the cabin digitally instead of through analog methods, they can improve the quality of the car and make the engine noise less muffled and garbled.

If the digital system bothers you because you're backwards and delusional, then you're free to program the feature out and punch a hole in your firewall and get the exact same result that is inferior in every way.

So the sound you hear is YOUR actual engine? Basically, a microphone under the hood? If so, I guess I understand the need given the upgrades in soundproofing.

[Mahzari]

I don't understand why BMW insists on doing this. Have you heard the new E63 or CLS63? Those twin-turbo V8s sound amazing. Hell, the F10 M5 with Akra sounds unbelievable.

If I ever got an F10 M5, the first thing I would do was disconnect this crap. BMW should have just developed a valve system that is configurable through the iDrive (always open, always closed, open only in M-mode).

[gblansten]

Originally Posted by Legion5

People need to stop these sorts of criticisms because they are ridiculous. Especially when it comes to BMW's.

The engine sound on the M5 is not in any way fake. It is the actual real sound of the actual real engine played through the speakers. Do you consider hearing someone's voice through a phone or a video fake? If it's the original person's undubbed real voice? Most reasonable people do not.

In fact the truth is that BMW's system to pump engine noise into the cabin is MORE REAL and more FAITHFUL than the system it replaces. The very nature of sound means that it undergoes changes when it passes through a tube, a wall or through glass, it changes the pitch frequency and tone when interacting with any surface or medium. The fact that BMW actually achieves a cleaner more faithful engine noise inside the cabin by using a digital intermediary from the engine to the occupant's ears instead of an analog set of tubes through the firewall actually is more real not less.

This sort of reaction is what you get from people who are afraid of technology and would rather use a string and a tin can for a phone instead of a high quality stennheiser microphone and speaker system with a digital link. The digital system is better in every measurable and conceivable way, both in phones and in the case of the M5, it's not evil just because it's digital.

By switching to pumping the actual engine noise into the cabin digitally instead of through analog methods, they can improve the quality of the car and make the engine noise less muffled and garbled.

If the digital system bothers you because you're backwards and delusional, then you're free to program the feature out and punch a hole in your firewall and get the exact same result that is inferior in every way.

Engine noise coming from the engine is real. Engine noise coming from an engine in a lab with that sound being piped through my speakers is fake.

[Apolonios]

Originally Posted by gblansten

Engine noise coming from the engine is real. Engine noise coming from an engine in a lab with that sound being piped through my speakers is fake.

This is what make's me skeptical for systems like this. It doesen't matter if the sound coming inside the cabin is very nice and authentic, if it's not coming from the engine on the actual car then it's fake. There's no stopping a car maker from using the sound from an entirely different car.

However if its from the actual car just enhanced then it's kinda cool as its still authentic and you can drown out the rest of the noises on the street.

[gblansten]

Originally Posted by Apolonios

This is what make's me skeptical for systems like this. It doesen't matter if the sound coming inside the cabin is very nice and authentic, if it's not coming from the engine on the actual car then it's fake. There's no stopping a car maker from using the sound from an entirely different car.

However if its from the actual car just enhanced then it's kinda cool as its still authentic and you can drown out the rest of the noises on the street.

Exactly. I'm perfectly happy to have my speakers play music.

[MineralWeiss]

Originally Posted by Legion5

I've done a lot of reading about BMW's system as I was very interested in how they did it and to what quality standard and it's actually extremely advanced. The dollar store systems that have been around for 15 years are ridiculously terrible hack jobs that just rev match the sound to the engine. The system in the M5 captures every nuance of the engine noise and reproduces it authentically, it's not just a rev match. The reason they did it now is because sound insulation technology has become so advanced that you can barely hear the engine any more, along with turbo engines being naturally quieter. Cars also now have enough processing power to make digital engine sound 100% transparent and identical the real thing flawlessly instead of just playing sound clips that are rev matched. The processing power is the real limiting factor to achieving a system that has a real sound.

No mater how advanced the system may be, the point is, to overcome the quietness of the interior, BMW has captured the sound and played it back over the audio system, and therefore it is "reproduced." Add to this if they alter the sound in any way, i.e. clean it up, reduce resonances, eliminate other noises etc. that is totally fake! I don't even agree with the piped in variety.

[NoM3ForMe]

Originally Posted by lorinzo

True.... but it's fake!

So, I get a Prius and have a system that pipes in the engine sound of a Ferrari and I feel.... what?

Foolish, since that is not an apples-to-apples comparison.

[doc19]

Originally Posted by LarThaL

To hear the desirable sounds while keeping out the undesirable ones. You can keep out traffic and tire noise, while still enjoying your exhaust sound.

Honestly, how is all this any different than an electric vs. acoustic guitar?

I guess the difference is that you are actually hearing the person on stage playing the electric guitar at that moment in time. While in the M5, you are getting the sound that guitar made in a lab when someone else played the same tune.

It's like lip-syncing don't you think? The system in the m5 is the Milli Vanilli of car sounds if you really think about it.

Now it would be totally different if it was piping sounds in from your actual engine.

I never really thought about it this much until I wrote this post, I guess put me in the "no sound enhancement" camp. I am now hoping this doesn't make it to the F30/80 m3.

And I'm not trying to offend anyone, just trying to keep it light with the 80s/90s pop references...

[py0413]

I remember seeing a device that you can plug into your power socket and you get to select audio note of many super cars engine sound that you wish to listen to through your speakers. Makes a Yaris driver feel like they are driving a Ferrari INSIDE the car. LOL.

[kyleb350]

Even if the engine doesn't sound great, I still wouldn't want fake engine noise playing through my speakers. What if an engine issue starts developing that you'd normally be able to detect audibly but cannot since you hear the same fake sounds?

[ragingclue]

I've got a passive noise pipe in my car, it sounds great and is the actual noise of the actual engine. A bit cheesy maybe, but the stuff pumped through the speakers just seems wrong in a way. I despise the concept.

[dtwyim]

Originally Posted by kyleb350

Even if the engine doesn't sound great, I still wouldn't want fake engine noise playing through my speakers. What if an engine issue starts developing that you'd normally be able to detect audibly but cannot since you hear the same fake sounds?

+1

If I want to hear the engine more, I just roll down the windows!

[AhsanU]

I think most people want to hear their raw engines. Regardless of whether or not it is just the sound of the engine emanating through the speakers, people don't want to hear anything but the natural sound. And anything coming from the speakers is just fake, no matter how you try to rationalize it.

BMW did this with the M5, but you can disable it at will (something I hope most M5 owners are doing), and if they do it to the M3, you can bet your ass they'll give us an option to disable it.

And besides, I can't be the only one that always drives with their windows down just to hear the car better, am I? I enjoy playing some heavy metal with the windows down, whilst listening to the roaring straight 6 in my E46 M3. I'll do the same if/when I do purchase the F82 M4, rendering the fake sounds moot.

[Team Plutonium]

Who gives a sh!t? If it bothers you don't buy the car, or buy an Eisnemann exhaust and roll down the windows.